Bass shift bar for accordions



Feb. 17, 1942. c. LINDEBERG BASS SHIFT BAR FOR ACCORDIONS Filed June 5, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 DEEP: WJUULL )JUUULJL 1 N VE NTOR. 07/? A M'flfBf/FG. i fd Feb. 17, 1942. c. LINDEBERG BASS SHIFT BAR FOR ACCORDIONS 2 sheets-sheet 2 Filed June 5, 1941 INVENTOR 09x2 z/mpmmc.

flrrm/vfm Patented Feb. 17, 194. 2

UNITED BASS SHIFT BAR FOR ACCORDIONS Carl Lindeberg, De Kalb, IlL, assignor to The Rudolph Wurlitzer Company, Cincinnati, Ohio,

a corporation Application June 5, 1941, Serial No. 396,653

4 Claims.

This invention relates to a piano accordion and particularly the mechanism for controlling the auxiliary slide valves in the bass box.

The object of the invention is to provide a bass shift mechanism for controlling the auxiliary slide valves which operates through a depressing action of the fingers as distinguished from the conventional pushing action. This has the advantage of permitting operation of the bass shift bar by the fingers of the player moving in the same general direction as their movement in moving over the bass key buttons. Thus the operation is simplified from the standpoint of the player by being able to pull down on the bass shift with the tips of his fingers rather than to push inwardly thereon as required in my Letters Patent No. 2,180,684, issued November 21, 1939, and. the bass push bars such as shown in the patents to Barber No. 2,118,545, issued May 24,

1938, and Pancotti No. 2,192,857 issued May 5,

1940. The chief difference between this invention and the bass shift bars of the above mentioned patents is that herein the bar has its movement in a plane vertical with the accordion when standing on its feet, whereas the conventional bar such as disclosed in the above mentioned patents moves horizontally or in an arc of a substantially horizontal movement with relation to the accordion standing on its feet.

Another feature of the invention resides in the structural arrangement and mounting of the shift bar exteriorly of the bass box and its operative connections and mechanism mounted within the bass box for actuating the valve, the operative connection between the exterior bar and the internal mechanism being extremely simple and inexpensive to install and permitting the bass box to be maintained air-tight.

The full nature of the invention will be understood from the accompanying drawings, the following specification and claims:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the bass box showing the Valve board and actuating mechanism in neutral position. Fig. 2 is the same as Fig. 1 showing a portion thereof with the mechanism in actuated position. Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig. i is a front elevation of the bass box with parts broken away.

In the drawings there is shown a bass box 19 of a piano accordion which houses the valves and reed blocks of the bass section in the manner and with the arrangement as is well known in the art. For obtaining different and varied tone qualities and combinations, the usual slide valves are employed for closing and rendering inefiec- 55 tive one set of reeds when moved to closed position while rendering them effective when moved to open position. As shown herein, there is provided a pair of slide valves II operatively associated with the air passages 12 formed in the valve board 13, upon opposite sides of which the usual reed blocks and control valves, not shown, are provided, the control valves being operable by the usual bass key buttons indicated at M.

For shifting the valves H, a base shift bar I5 is mounted to extend longitudinally of the bass box directly above the valve keys l4 and is so mounted as to actuate the valves upon being pulled downwardly by the player toward the valve keys, as indicated in Fig. 1, and as distinguished from the conventional pushing action. For this purpose the bar is pivoted by a loose rivet 16 adjacent each end thereof to one end of a lever arm H, the other end of which is secured or welded to a stud I8. The stud l3 extends through and has its bearing in a sleeve [9 mounted in the front panel of the box. To the end of the stud I8 there is secured an upwardly extending S- shaped arm 20 with its free end loosely riveted at 2| to the rod 22. Thus, upon the shift bar l5 being pulled downwardly, the arm 20 is rocked to the left and thereby moves the rod 22 in that direction.

The rod 22 is provided with an adjustable extension 23 secured thereto by set screws 24 extending through elongated slots in said rod so that the extension 23 is given the same movement to the left as the rod 22 upon downward movement of the shift bar. The rod Z3 is pivotally connected at its end to the bell crank lever 25 fulcrumed upon the wood supporting block 26 at 21. The other end of said lever is pivoted at 28 to the valve actuating mechanism. Said mechanism is supported upon the Valve board l3 and is so arranged that upon each actuation of the shift bar it moves the valves ll either to open or closed position. Thus upon pulling the shift bar downwardly the valve actuating mechanism will shift the valves to closed position. Again upon pulling the shift bar downwardly they will be returned to open position.

The shift mechanism is the same as that shown and described in Letters Patent No. 2,208,- 384 issued to Vaughn E. Morrison July 16, 1940, and again as illustrated in my Letters Patent No. 2,180,684 issued November 21, 1939. Thus there is provided a shift plate 29 carrying the shift mechanism which comprises essentially an oscillating arm 30 having its opposite ends operatively connected with the ends of the slide valves H through the medium of pins 3|. Thus, when said arm is operated in one direction, the slide valves are oppositely moved to closed position and when oscillated in the opposite direction they are oppositely moved to open position. Whereas the slide valves are thus caused to simultaneously move in opposite directions their openings are so arranged that when so moved they are both in valve open or closed position. This movement of the valves is effected by the U-shaped pusher fingers 32 operating upon the engaging cars 33 extending upwardly from the oscillating disk 34. The supporting shaft of said disk extends through a bearing 35 mounted on the plate 29 so as to carry and actuate the oscillating arm 30 on the opposite or under side thereof, upon which side the valves and reed blocks are mounted.

The pusher fingers 32 are operatively connected to the bell crank lever 25 through the cam lever 36 which is pivoted to the plate 29 at 31. The pusher fingers 32 at their joined ends are pivotally connected to the actuating cam 36 at 38.

Thus, upon the bell crank 25 being operated by downward pulling of the shift bar, the actuatlng cam 36 is swung about its pivotal mounting against the tension of spring 39 to move said arms forwardly toward the disk 34 to oscillate it in one direction for opening or closing the valves, whereupon the mechanism is returned to normal position by the spring 39. Upon again actuating the mechanism the disk 34 will be turned in the opposite direction to move the valves to their opposite position. For assisting the spring 39 in returning the actuating mechanism from shifted position, there may also be provided an auxiliary spring 40 connecting the rod 22 with the valve board.

The invention claimed is:

1. In a piano accordion including a bass section box having parallel sliding valves therein operated by a shift mechanism mounted at one end of said box operably connected with and movable to alternately slide said valves in opposite directions, a reciprocating rod mounted within said box to move longitudinally thereof, a bell crank lever operably connecting one end of said rod with said shift mechanism, a manually actuated shift bar mounted exteriorly of said box in parallel relation with said reciprocating rod, and a rocker arm adjacent each end of said bar, each of said rocker arms having a bearing portion extending through the wall of said box with a horizontal arm pivoted to said bar and an upright arm pivoted to said rod.

2. In a piano accordion including a bass section box having parallel sliding valves therein operated by a shift mechanism mounted at one end of said box operably connected with and movable to alternately slide said valves in opposite directions, a reciprocating rod mounted within said box to move longitudinally thereof, said rod being operably connected with said shift mechanism, a manually actuated shift bar mounted exteriorly and longitudinally of said box, and a swivel connection between said bar and rod, said connection extending through the Wall of said box and operable to impart longitudinal movement to said rod upon said bar being moved transversely thereto.

3. In a piano accordion including a bass section box having a valve board, slide valves movable relative thereto operated by shift mechanism operably connected with and movable to alternately slide said valves in opposite directions, a finger actuated base shift bar mounted exteriorly of said box arranged to be moved transversely of said valve board and valves, bell crank levers having a bearing portion extending through the wall of said box operably connecting said shift bar with said shift mechanism, said bell crank levers being so arranged as to support said bar on said box and actuate said shift mechanism upon said bar being moved transversely thereof.

4. In a piano accordion including a bass section box having a valve board, slide valves movable relative thereto and shift mechanism operably connected to said valves adapted to move said valves longitudinally of said box in one or the other direction on each operation thereof, a finger actuated bass shift bar mounted exteriorly of said box and extending longitudinally thereof in parallel relation with said valve board and valves, said bar being mounted for transverse bodily movement relative thereto, a reciprocating rod mounted within said box adapted to move longitudinally thereof and having one end operably connected with said shift mechanism and a rocker arm adjacent each end of said bar extending through the wall of said box operably interconnected with said bar and rod to reciprocate said rod upon transverse movement being imparted to said bar.

CARL LINDEBERG. 

